Kukla's Korner Hockey

NEW YORK (August 9, 2011)—The return of NHL hockey to Winnipeg and seven overseas games against international opponents highlight the National Hockey League’s 2011-12 pre-season schedule from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4.

Winnipeg fans will have the first opportunity to cheer their team on Tuesday, Sept. 20 when the Jets make their pre-season debut with home-and-home, split-squad games against the Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m., ET in Columbus, 8:30 p.m., ET in Winnipeg).

Four clubs—the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers—will play seven pre-season games in six different countries against international competition as they prepare to open the regular season with the 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere series, featuring games in Berlin, Stockholm and Helsinki on Oct. 7 and 8.

The Rangers have the busiest pre-season tour, playing four games in four countries in a five-day span. They will face Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic capital Sept. 29, followed by games in Gothenburg, Sweden (vs. Frolunda, Sept. 30); Bratislava, Slovakia (vs. HC Slovan, Oct. 2) and Zug, Switzerland (vs. EV Zug, Oct. 3).

The Sabres, Kings and Ducks will play their lone pre-season games in Europe on Oct. 4. The Sabres and Kings will be in Germany, visiting Adler Mannheim and Hamburg Freezers, respectively, while the Ducks travel to Helsinki to take on Finnish club Jokerit.

The people of Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, winners of the Canada-wide Kraft Hockeyville competition, will celebrate the grand prize when the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets visit their community Sept. 26. In order to accommodate ticket demand that far exceeded the 600-seat capacity Robert French Memorial Stadium, the Senators and Jets will face off in nearby St. John’s at Mile One Centre.